Nick Lubic
Dr. Adam Johns
Seminar in English Composition
2 September 2008
Withstanding the Test of Time
Society often stresses today to look into the past in order to find the answers to modern problems. However, as time progresses, certain events stick out and withhold there meaning centuries later, while others are deemed useless and lost in the folds of time. Regardless of the outcome, certain historical outcomes a great effect on the choices one makes and the views he or she has on people in society. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel “The House of the Seven Gables” further supports this statement. Hawthorne uses his character pasts in order to explain the outcome of events as the story progresses. In doing so, he strongly stresses the theme of using history not only to learn but also to increase the overall understanding of a person, place, or situation.
Hawthorne immediately introduces this theme in the preface of the novel to prove that certain events can stay with a family for years. In the passage, he stresses that the “wrongdoing of one generation lives into the successive one”, meaning that certain negative events in history tend to be remember for generations after. Before the story even begins, Hawthorne is emphasizing to the reader the importance of past generations effect on modern views. By introducing the theme in this way, he is foreshadowing the events in the Pyncheon family history having a great effect on modern life at the Pyncheon house.
The story begins with the introduction of both the Pyncheon and Maule families by describing the history of the land and the history of the house of the seven gables. Hawthorne uses this to describe how the house and land came under the ownership of the Pyncheon family. He then goes on to explain that Colonel Pyncheon accused Matthew Maule of witchcraft and therefore, took over ownership of the land. This event in history sealed the fate of the Pyncheon family, and its effects would be felt in generations to come. Hawthorne explains the effects of this moment in history saying, “In almost every generation, nevertheless, there happened to be some one descendant of the family gifted with a portion of the hard, keen sense, and practical energy, that had so remarkably distinguished the original founder. His character, indeed, might be traced all the way down, as distinctly as if the Colonel himself, a little diluted, had been gifted with a sort of intermittent immortality on earth” (Hawthorne 11). In the case of the Pyncheon family, the surrounding town will forever look at the family different because of the actions of the original owner, Colonel Pyncheon. This shows that a negative event in history in likely to be remembered and connected with the present, much more so than a positive one as Hawthorne stated in the preface. As for Matthew Maule, his legacy is soon forgotten by the people of the town because of the event that took place on the scaffolds so long ago. However, the haunting memory lives on the lives of the proceeding Pyncheon generations, further supporting the importance of historical events on more modern times.
Hawthorne’s theme on the importance of history can be further supported through a more modern example. The presidential election has recently shed light on this theme regarding the historical backgrounds of the candidates, Barrack Obama and John McCain. In many political messages presented through the media, campaigns are believed to be strengthened by describing the rich historical background of the candidates. For example, Obama uses his history in order to further support why he is an able candidate for president. His campaign messages stress his past education at Harvard Law School and being raised in a middle class family. John McCain also uses his history to give voters more of a reason to vote for him. His experience in the war as a POW gives him a strong history that many people will look back on when deciding who to vote for. However, certain negative historical events in the lives of these candidates may also be used against them, much like the Colonels effect on the Pyncheon name. Therefore, one can conclude that this theme is supported even in today’s society.
The relationship between the theme that Hawthorne expresses in the preface and the Pyncheon family legacy cannot be denied. There is a rigid example of this even in this modern day and age. Hawthorne’s interpretation of history in his novel “The House of the Seven Gables” gives reason to believe that even the smallest of occurrences in history can have a profound effect on the way people think and perceive each other. Without doubt, the past can be a useful tool in judging decisions and make assumption on in present.
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3 comments:
THe second paragraph didnt seem complete and it acted like another introductory paragraph. You should have built off of that one with more examples instead of starting another paragraph.
Your modern day example did not adhere to Hawthorne's theme. It is the ancestral history in the story that affects them the most. Your example with the two candidates would make more sense if u showed that voters viewed them differently because of their family history not because of their personal past.
THe last sentence of your first paragraph says he uses history to better understand the place, situation, and the person. The place and situation were accounted for but there wasnt enough about the characters. YOu used a quote that spoke about it in general.YOu should have used a quote that told us about a specific characters history and how it affected their current behavior.
Also there were many grammatical errors in it.
Nick Lubic
Dr. Adam Johns
Seminar in English Composition
6 September 2008
Withstanding the Test of Time
Society often stresses today to look into the past in order to find the answers to modern problems. However, as time progresses, certain events stick out and withhold their meaning centuries later, while others are deemed useless and lost in the folds of time. Regardless of the outcome, certain historical outcomes have a great effect on the choices one makes and the views he or she has on people in society. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel “The House of the Seven Gables” further supports this statement. Hawthorne uses his character pasts in order to explain the outcome of events as the story progresses. In doing so, he strongly stresses the theme of using history not only to learn but also to increase the overall understanding of a person, place, or situation.
Hawthorne immediately introduces this theme in the preface of the novel to prove that certain events can stay with a family for years. In the passage, he stresses that the “wrongdoing of one generation lives into the successive one”, meaning that certain negative events in history tend to be remember for generations after. Before the story even begins, Hawthorne is emphasizing to the reader the importance of past generations effect on modern views. By introducing the theme in this way, he is foreshadowing the events in the Pyncheon family history having a great effect on modern life at the Pyncheon house.
The story begins with the introduction of both the Pyncheon and Maule families by describing the history of the land and the history of the house of the seven gables. Hawthorne uses this to describe how the house and land came under the ownership of the Pyncheon family. He then goes on to explain that Colonel Pyncheon accused Matthew Maule of witchcraft and, therefore, took over ownership of the land. This event in history sealed the fate of the Pyncheon family, and its effects would be felt in generations to come. Hawthorne explains the effects of this moment in history saying, “In almost every generation, nevertheless, there happened to be some one descendant of the family gifted with a portion of the hard, keen sense, and practical energy, that had so remarkably distinguished the original founder. His character, indeed, might be traced all the way down, as distinctly as if the Colonel himself, a little diluted, had been gifted with a sort of intermittent immortality on earth” (Hawthorne 11). In the case of the Pyncheon family, the surrounding town will forever look at the family different because of the actions of the original owner, Colonel Pyncheon. This shows that a negative event in history is likely to be remembered and connected with the present, much more so than a positive one as Hawthorne stated in the preface. As for Matthew Maule, his legacy is soon forgotten by the people of the town because of the event that took place on the scaffolds so long ago. However, the haunting memory lives on the lives of the proceeding Pyncheon generations, further supporting the importance of historical events on more modern times.
Hawthorne’s theme on the importance of history can be seen through a more modern example. The presidential election has recently shed light on this theme regarding the historical backgrounds of the candidates, Barrack Obama and John McCain. In many political messages presented through the media, campaigns are believed to be strengthened by describing the rich historical background of the candidates. For example, Obama uses his history to further support his ability to lead the nation effectively. His campaign messages stress his past education at Harvard Law School and being raised in a middle class family. Obama mentions the lives of his parents to show Americans how similar they were to an average family in today’s society. John McCain also uses his history to give voters more of a reason to vote for him. His experience in the war as a POW gives him a strong history that many people will look back on when deciding who to elect. Even George W. Bush had an advantage in his campaign because many knew of his father, George H. W. Bush, and the effect he had on the nation. However, certain negative historical events in the lives of these candidates may also be used against them, much like the Colonel’s effect on the Pyncheon name. Therefore, one can conclude that this theme is supported even in today’s society.
The relationship between the theme that Hawthorne expresses in the preface and the Pyncheon family legacy cannot be denied. There is a rigid example of this even in this modern day and age. Hawthorne’s interpretation of history in his novel “The House of the Seven Gables” gives reason to believe that even the smallest of occurrences in history can have a profound effect on the way people think and perceive each other. Without doubt, the past can be a useful tool in judging decisions and making assumptions in the present.
The introduction reads like a collection of cliches marred by grammatical errors. I know that’s harsh, but the idea is very simple: Hawthorne wants people and things placed into a historical context. Don’t over complicate or oversell your ideas - a sentence would have done a much better job than a paragraph here.
Your claim in the second paragraph - that the past *influences* contemporary views, if I understand you correctly - is something that should be argued in detail, especially since Hawthorne seems in many ways to be making a more extreme argument – that the present *is* the past.
Your long quote about the immortality of the Colonel makes my previous point - on a literal level, Hawthorne is claiming something stronger than you see. So why make your interpretation? I’m not saying that it’s wrong, but it needs to be defended.
When you take your argument into the present, you make clear just how vague your version is. *Of course* we see things, at least to a degree, within a historical context. This might have been more interesting if you had touched on the ways in which candidates manipulate or even *create* their contexts - it’s not like they want us to know everything, just those things that cast them in a good light.
I don’t think you took as much advantage of Giovanni’s advice as you might have. He was more or less right on all counts.
Giovanni: Good response, although more examples would have helped.
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